INDIANA, Pa. — The IUP Crimson Hawks built a commanding 23-point halftime lead and never looked back in a 78–64 win over the St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans on Sunday at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

IUP surged ahead 47–24 at the break, shooting 57.1% from the field and hitting seven 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes. The Crimson Hawks used a balanced attack led by senior guard Dallis Dillard, who scored 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5 of 6 from deep. Guard Damir Brooks added 19 points on a hyper-efficient 9-of-12 effort.

The Spartans mounted a second-half challenge, outscoring IUP 40–31 after intermission, but the comeback bid stalled behind cold perimeter shooting. Guard Starrell Hearns led all scorers with 20 points, but the Spartans connected on just 3 of 19 3-point attempts (15.8%) on the day.